2019’s Best Whole Home and Well Water Filtration System Reviews

A whole house water filter system, also known as point-of-entry (POE) filtration system, is perfect to clean all the water entering your home before it gets distributed to the various outlets like faucets and showers.

A good system will improve the smell and taste of your water and also make it safe for consumption by removing many of the potentially harmful contaminants. Above that, it will reduce hardness. This means less stains on dishes and surfaces, soft laundry and healthier looking hair and skin.

The only problem is that there are so many whole house filter models out there for you to choose from. And of course you don’t want to waste your hard-earned money making a wrong buying decision. So, which one is best suited for your needs?

Key Considerations Before You Buy

One fact is inevitable: Official reports show that the quality of (drinking) water in the United States is alarming. Day in and day out, the majority of us consumes water contaminated with chemicals from agricultural runoff, traces of pharmaceuticals, heavy metals – think lead – chlorine, fluoride…

Fortunately, it seems like more and more people are becoming aware of the problem and want to do something about it – and so do you, which is great! But before you go out and buy a POE filter system that treats all the water running through your home, consider this:

1. Water Quality

First of all, you should try to find out more about the quality of water that you receive. This allows you to purchase a whole house filter capable of dealing with all the contaminants lurking in it.

Are you on well water or on municipal a.k.a. city water? If your water is sourced from a well, do you have access to a water quality report? If not, your best option is to send a direct sample to an independent lab. Alternatively, you can purchase one of these well test kits, which give you a rough idea of what you are facing (more details on how to filter well water below):

For those lucky ones among us that receive city water, you can go here or here and browse for your utility. All reports in both databases are available for free!

Municipal tap water usually contains lots of disinfection byproducts like trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids that are, for example, associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer.

In addition to that, most municipal water is fluoridated. Studies have linked fluoride to harming teeth and bones and also cause bone cancer. The bad news is that only a small number of filters will help to remove fluoride from your water.

Well water is in many cases polluted with chemicals from agricultural runoff. Fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, disease-causing microorganisms – the list goes on.

There’s also a chance that you water is contaminated with lead, which originates from old pipes. If you are worried about this issue, you might want to check out our article explaining how to best remove lead from water.

2. Filter Types

More or less all whole house filters can remove the basic contaminants. These are sediment, chlorine and a number of chemicals responsible for creating an unpleasant smell and taste. Those models specialized for well water treatment will also eliminate iron, manganese and other heavy metals.

But only reverse osmosis filtration technology is capable of removing all the bad stuff and make water 100% safe for drinking and cooking. Your water quality report or a lab test will tell you, if you need to add one of these to your home.

The downside: Whole house reverse osmosis systems can be really expensive. Alternatively, a smaller point-of-use unit that can be installed under your kitchen sink and that provides pure drinking water for one tap only offers a viable addition to any regular whole house treatment system.

3. Flow Rates + Micron Ratings

What you have to remember is that a whole house filtration system has to be able to provide enough water for your bathroom(s) and kitchen, the dishwasher, washing machine and all other household appliances that use water.

Therefore, sufficient water flow is mandatory, if you don’t want to experience a pressure drop when opening multiple water outlets. 10 – 15 gallons per minute (gpm) is pretty standard for a whole house filter. Anything lower than that might not suffice for large homes.

On a side note: A bathroom faucet uses up to 1.5 gpm. A kitchen faucet uses up to 2.2 gpm. The maximum flow rate for a shower head usually doesn’t exceed 2.5 gpm.

At the same time, you want your full house filter to be effective. In this case, effectiveness is measured in micron. 1 micron is a thousandth of a millimeter. Generally speaking, a smaller micron rating indicates a more thorough filtration.

For example: A filter that only removes sand, silt and rust might have a micron rating of 50. This means that it traps all or most of the particles dissolved in water with a minimum size of 50 microns, which won’t affect substances such as fluoride, lead, most chemicals and most pathogens.

Other micron ratings are 25, 10, 5 and 1 followed by the sub-micron level. The dilemma: The smaller the micron rating, the lower the flow rate. This is also the reason why whole house reverse osmosis systems are rare to find. Regular RO membranes have a micron rating of 0.0001, which reduces water flow to a trickle, if no additional booster pumps are applied.

4. Costs

We are all trying to save money. This is why, when it comes to whole house water filters, you should not only take into account the initial purchase price of a system, but also filter replacement costs and capacities. A filter with a higher capacity (measured in gallons) will last for a longer period of time.

If you want to estimate your water consumption, calculate with 80 – 100 gallons per person and day.

5. Space

Whole house units are much bigger than the average filter system. Don’t underestimate their size and make sure that you have enough space for installation and maintenance in your home.

Using the system for the first time, you will immediately notice that your water not only tastes much better, your laundry will also feel softer and so will your hair. After you’ve taken a shower, your skin will look less dry, especially if you struggle with lots of hardness minerals.

Independent lab tests (NSF/ANSI standards 42 & 53) have shown that the iSpring WGB32B is capable of removing between 95 to 98 percent of sediment, chlorine and chloramines as well as a range of other contaminants that make your water look, taste and smell unpleasant.

Elimination of harmful organic chemicals like pesticides and herbicides? Check!

In terms of water flow, a supply of 15 gallons per minute should be absolutely sufficient for a 4 to 6-person household.

As far as filtering capacity is concerned, 100,000 gallons will last for up to 1 year for a family of 3, respectively up to 6 months for a family of 6.

Replacement filters are affordable, which helps to save money in the long run. Sounds interesting? Check out the iSpring WGB32B here!

If you are worried about the installation-part, you can be rest assured that the system does NOT require professional installation, IF you have some basic plumbing skills and the right tools. “All” you need to do is splice in the system into your home’s main water line.

Separate pressure release buttons make filter changes much easier.

Last but not least, iSpring’s customer care service is reliable and responsive. If you experience a problem, for example you receive a broken part, the team will send you a replacement in no time.

What We Don’t Like

One customer described changing filters as “nerve wracking”, which is quite understandable considering that the cartridges tend to move when you try to attach the canisters back on. Both canisters and cartridges are quite heavy, so it’s not an easy job for everyone, especially when you are on your own.

Our Verdict

The iSpring WGB32B whole house system is perfect for severe cases of city water contamination. It provides a high enough flow rate for larger households and comes at an affordable price. Customer ratings reflect our own thoughts: The best whole house water filtration system!

2. Home Master HMF3SDGFEC 3-Stage – Best Whole House Water Filter for Well Water

Home Master is known for producing outstanding reverse osmosis filter systems and taking a look at this whole house filter series, the brand stays true to itself.

The series features 2 and 3-stage filtration systems that provide exceptionally clean water. They also allow for high flow rates, meaning that you can simultaneously use multiple faucets, showers, etc., and are low in maintenance, which saves you money, time and inconvenience.

What we love about the entire series is that you can simply switch to cheaper replacement filters sold by third-party manufacturers. This gives you access to a large range of models that come with many different qualities.

The Home Master HMF3SDGFEC 3-Stage is, in our opinion, the best filtration system for well water containing high amounts of iron, manganese and sulfur. Home Master does not recommend this system for chlorinated water, though, which excludes most city waters.

If you want to learn more about Home Master’s 2-stage whole house systems, simply scroll down to the next review or click here to jump ahead. In a nutshell, one of them was designed for city water with elevated chlorine levels and the other one for city water with high chloramine concentrations.

What We Like

The standard filters that come with the HMF3SDGFEC 3-stage system remove lead, mercury and manganese in addition to other heavy metals. You also won’t have to worry about sediment and many chemicals anymore. Most importantly for well water, the filters eliminate pesticides and herbicides. Basically, any particle larger than 1 micron will be removed – compare that to 5 micron for the iSpring WGB32B above.

What’s more, the system is backed by a 2-year limited warranty and Home Master’s A+ customer support. The knowledgeable team members will happily answer all your questions and assist you with setting up a customized system, if you have special filtration needs.

What We Don’t Like

2. It’s great that the filters have an extended lifetime. However, due to their size, they won’t fit in every home.

Our Verdict

The Home Master HMF3SDGFEC is a great choice for everyone facing well water contaminated with heavy metals and chemicals from agricultural runoff. The level of filtration is second to none in this price segment and among the best water filtration systems for well water for sure. It’s just not the optimum choice for people on a tight budget.

As already mentioned above, there are two different 2-stage systems for you to choose from in Home Master’s whole home filter series. The HMF2SDGC system is for use on a chlorinated city water supply. For city water containing chloramines, we recommend model HMF2SMGCC.

What We Like

Both systems deliver clean and clear H2O throughout your home that will taste significantly better from the start. If you struggle with hardness, you will notice better lather from shampoo and less stains on plates and glasses.

Thanks to the oversized filters, water flow is high and won’t draw down pressure. Another benefit is that the filters need replacement less frequently (about once per year), so you can spend your time and money doing something more enjoyable.

On the one hand, we have the HMF2SDGC model for chlorinated water that will remove sediment, bacteria and a bunch of chemicals that create nasty tastes and odors.

On the other hand, there’s the HMF2SMGCC whole house filter best suited to eliminate chlorine, sediment, turbidity, pesticides, herbicides as well as some light and heavy metals.

Both units have a solid construction and will last for years. Plus they are not too complicated to install, especially compared to other whole house filters.

What We Don’t Like

Even if you set up everything correctly, chances are that the filters might drip at the inlet and/or outlet port. A couple wraps of Teflon tape and pipe joint compound safe for drinking water should to the trick.

Our Verdict

The Home Master HMF2SDGC and HMF2SMGCC 2-Stage whole house water filters offer an attractive price-performance ratio. Customer satisfaction is high – and let’s not forget that both models are also backed by a 2-year limited warranty. Our verdict: 4 out of 5 stars!

What We Like

Believe it or not, the Aquasana Premium Rhino Whole House Filter provides you with water almost 100% free from chlorine for the next 10 years or 1,000,000 – that’s one million – gallons. No draining, no back flushing and not a single gallon wasted!

Apart from chlorine, this full house filter also reduces the amount of other dissolved substances in your water including pesticides, herbicides, lead and mercury.

The system’s post-filter can remove impurities with a minimum size of 0.35 microns, which is the best value we’ve stumbled upon so far.

The benefits are obvious: Clean water, better moisturized skin and hair, and improved indoor air quality for easier breathing not only while showering.

Warranty? Yep, 10 years (limited)!

When it comes to installing the Aquasana Premium Rhino, you are probably better off hiring a professional plumber. Should you still decide to do the installation on your own, expect to spend at least several hours for completion.

By the way, an optional pro installation kit can be ordered making the whole process a bit easier.

As with all whole house filters, it’s hard to predict how often the cartridges need replacement, because it depends on water quality and usage. The pre-filter should last around 3 months if you are on city and 1 – 3 months for well water. The post-filter is likely going to last somewhere between 5 – 9 months. A drop in pressure is a good indicator that it’s time to make replacements.

Tip: Write down your water meter count after the initial installation and each time you change filters in order to stay on top of things.

Optional Upgrades

There are several optional upgrades for you to choose from:

Salt-free conditioner to prevent scaling and protect your plumbing

UV-light stage to kill 99.99% of harmful pathogens

Additional pre and post-filters for higher purity levels

What We Don’t Like

The Aquasana Premium Rhino lasts for 10 years, which is why we don’t consider the high price a real disadvantage. However, the same does not hold true for the flow rate of 7 gpm which may not be sufficient for large households.

Other cons are cheap plastic fittings that make the installation a lot harder and are prone to leaking and warranty claim issues.

Our Verdict

Admittedly, the initial price tag for the Aquasana Premium Rhino whole house purifier seems quite high, but over the course of 10 years the system will provide great value for your money. The high-quality filters will protect you and your family against many harmful contaminants, first and foremost chlorine, and you will immediately notice a difference in the taste and smell of your water.

The standard version is great for city supplies. If you are on a well, we recommend you to go with the specialized version.

5. Express Water 3-Stage Full House Filter for Wells or Municipal Supplies

What We Like

This POE filtration machine by Express Water is of high quality and also looks pretty damn good – there’s no reason to hide it in a remote corner of your basement.

It’s being used for well water treatment by many and provides quality (drinking) water that not only protects your home appliances and expands their life span, it also smells and tastes super fresh.

The system removes dirt, chlorine, organic chemicals, rust, scale and VOCs among other stuff.

Other advantages are:

chlorine-free showers for healthier skin and hair

chlorine-free water for your garden and pets

low maintenance requirements, which saves you time and money

pressure release button for easier cartridge replacements

On a side note: Express Water is another manufacturer known for its reliable reverse osmosis systems and funnily enough, this whole house filter features the exact same carbon block and granular activated carbon filters that you would normally find in one of the RO units.

What We Don’t Like

It turns out that the water inlets and outlets are tapped too loose. If you want to prevent dripping, don’t forget to use enough tape. And as usual we miss NSF certifications.

Our Verdict

Compared to its competitors, this whole house sediment and carbon filter by Express Water is relatively new on the market. Nevertheless, customers are highly satisfied with the quality and purification performance. Do we recommend this system to our readers? Absolutely!

What We Like

Compared to the other whole house water filters we reviewed on this page, the 3M Aqua-Pure inline model AP903 features an exceptionally high flow rate (20 gpm), which is ideal for large homes with multiple bathrooms.

It comes with a 5-micron charcoal filter to reduce sediment, dirt, rust and chlorine. This helps to protect your household appliances and plumbing system and, above that, removes unpleasant tastes and odors.

Another obvious advantage is the quick and easy-to-change filter cartridge. Replacement takes no more than 5 minutes max – no tools needed! The filtering capacity is pretty standard: 100,000 gallons or up to 1 year.

The install is straightforward and not difficult at all. Still, you want to make sure that you can spare a couple of hours, especially if you are going to add an additional pre-filter and a bypass line + shutoff valves. By the way, the slim design allows for installation in small spaces.

What We Don’t Like

Disadvantages? According to 3M, the AP903 can be used for both well and city water, which is great, but the seller also recommends the use of a pre-filter system upfront.

This will help to prevent clogging and increases filter life span. Unfortunately, this also means additional costs that you need to cover.

Our Verdict

3M’s AP903 is really low in maintenance and only requires a quick filter replacement once a year. In comparison to other models, it’s not the best home water filter of all. Still, it’s an ideal solution for someone with fairly clean water, taking into account that it won’t help to get rid of most smaller impurities, such as VOCs, heavy metals and pesticides.

7. Culligan WH-HD200-C Whole House Water Filtration System #RealBargain

Next we’re going to take a look at the Culligan WH-HD200-C Whole House Heavy Duty System. The system’s purpose is mainly to protect your plumbing and household appliances from sediment and scale. Although, it’ll also make your water taste much better.

What We Like

We like this very cheap whole house purifier for 3 reasons:

1. The transparent container allows you to check the condition of your filter cartridge at a glance.

2. We have a built-in bypass valve so that you don’t have to turn off the entire water supply to your house when replacing cartridges.

3. The WH-HD200-C is compatible with 5 different filter cartridges with varying capacities and pour sizes. Which one fits your needs best?

What We Don’t Like

The inlet and outlet port are prone to leaking so make sure to use plenty of Teflon tape to create a strong seal.

A second issue is the bypass valve which may be hard to turn and requires lubricating.

Our Verdict

A filtering capacity of 10,000 to 24,000 gallons is not a whole lot of water. However, replacement cartridges cost somewhere between 10 and 25 dollars, which really isn’t much either. And when you consider that the Culligan WH-HD200-C is available for less than 100 bucks – and far less when on discount – then there is nothing left to complain about.

8. APEX MR-3030 Whole Home Filter Review

What We Like

The APEX MR-3030 is a lesser known 3-stage whole home filtration system capable of removing all kinds of dissolved solids with a minimum size of 1 micron. This includes chlorine, iron and other heavy metals, which is pretty decent in direct comparison with the competition.

Filters are NSF-certified and provide great tasting drinking water. Other than that, there is not much to be said about this product.

What We Don’t Like

APEX would do good to improve on the low filtration capacity of 20,000 gallons. This whole house model is best suited for small homes. Otherwise filters have to be changed far too frequently.

Another aspect that we don’t like is APEX’s customer care service, which sometimes doesn’t respond to inquiries in a timely manner.

Our Verdict

The best bang for your buck? Maybe not. But certainly great to get unlimited access to refreshing drinking water in your home at an acceptable price.

9. DuPont WFPF13003B Universal Whole Home Filtration System

What We Like

The greatest advantage of DuPont’s WFPF13003B universal inline whole house filter is that it comes at a fraction of what you pay for other multi-stage filter models.

On top of that, replacement filters are super cheap. And due to the 10″ cartridge, all standard filters sold by DuPont and other manufacturers like Culligan and Pentek can be placed in the housing. As you can see, the level of water purity that you can achieve depends a great deal on what you are shooting for.

A very smart idea is to arrange three or more of the purifier in sequence. You could start with a 10 to 20-micron filter, followed by 5 microns, and a 1-micron filter at last. This setup is likely to guarantee excellent drinking water quality safe for consumption.

Another benefit: You don’t need to be an expert plumber to install this whole house unit.

What We Don’t Like

Sure, the DuPont WFPF13003B retails at far less than what you have to pay for most whole house purifiers on the market. And yet we have to acknowledge the fact that it really lacks the filtration capability that those other filters provide.

One WFPF13003B might be sufficient to adequately protect your plumbing system, but in regards to drinking water safety, it won’t suffice. This is all the more true, if you are on well water.

Our Verdict

This whole house filter might be affordable even for those on a tiny budget, but don’t confuse it with a proper system that will remove the majority of harmful contaminants from your water.

Other Whole House Filter Reviews:

In comparison to regular filtration, reverse osmosis is much more sophisticated. Whole house RO systems provide you with pure H2O at every outlet – how great is that?! You can to drink from any faucet without second thoughts, enjoy zero-contaminant showers, and the longevity of your water-using appliances increases, too. If you want to find the best whole house or commercial RO system, click here.

More on Whole House Systems

In section 1, we reviewed the top rated whole house water filtration systems on the market. Next, we are going to tackle some of the most common questions our readers have about this special type of filter.

How much does a home water purification system cost? The selection ranges from small and inexpensive single-tap units to more pricey whole house treatment systems, so there really is more than one answer to this question. And you also have to take into account recurring cost for maintenance and a one-time installation fee if you can’t do the setup on your own. Don’t worry, we’ve covered everything in great detail in this guide.

POE filter systems require proper installation that involves plumbing. Sounds scary? It doesn’t have to be! You can get everything up and running within a couple of hours. And the whole process is only moderately difficult. We are 100 percent convinced that with the right tools and enough time & patience you will be able to pull this off DIY-style. How? This article provides everything you need to know.

Can you make your own homemade water filter in order to save money? And if so, what are the things that you have to consider, and are there any drawbacks? We will answers all your questions in this guide. It’s time for you to learn how to build a DIY whole house filtration system. For this we will give you a list of tools and other components that you require. Also, you will learn how to set everything up step by step. Are you ready to take on your next DIY project? Let’s go!

No matter what system you choose, almost all whole house water filters require a little bit of maintenance here and there to ensure peak performance. Most important are timely cartridge replacements. Don’t worry, this is only a matter of minutes and you don’t even need a lot of tools. But how do you do actually change a filter cartridge and how many times per year do you have to do this? Also, what happens if you’ve completely forgotten about it? Get all the answers here.

How Does a Whole Home Water Filter Work?

POE filters employ different mediums to eliminate impurities. A multi-stage system might combine a sediment pre-filter that removes larger particles with activated granular carbon filters to reduce the chlorine and chemicals. Depending on feed water quality, this will already be sufficient to provide you with clean and healthy drinking water all throughout your home.

In addition to that, the setup also helps dealing with hardness mineral, at least to a small degree. The life span of your household appliances and plumbing system will increase due to the prevention of lime scale build-ups that cause clogging.

An additional softening stage with a salt resin or a separate softener is best suited to regulate hard water minerals in severe cases.

Thanks to the oversized filters, whole house water treatment systems are low in maintenance and have an increased water flow rate. 15 gallons per minute are no exception and cartridges need replacement about every 3 to 12 months.

How to Filter Well Water (for Drinking)

Although this guide is only partly about whole house well water filtration system reviews, we want to provide you with more information on how to properly filter well water.

Well water is groundwater, which means that it comes mainly from rain sinking down through the earth’s soil. This is the reason why it contains a lot of impurities. Some of these impurities are natural, take calcium, magnesium and selenium as an example. Others are manmade chemicals entering the water cycle as industrial and agricultural runoff or sewage waste.

Natural or manmade – both groups of contaminants can pose serious health risks. The good news is that if you are supplied with city water, your municipality has already taken care of the majority of dangerous pathogens. If you rely on a private well, however, this is simply not the case and you are responsible for making sure that your water is safe for your uses.

By the way, only because the water from your well looks clean doesn’t mean that it is de facto clean. Clear well water may still contain microorganisms that can cause gastrointestinal illnesses and infections.

Conduct a Water Quality Test

In order to determine well water quality, your best option is to conduct a test. Well water test kits or a professional lab will be able to tell you what contaminants are present in your water. Only then can you be certain about what type of filtration system is best suited to treat the water according to your needs and even make it potable.

A test kit for well water should check for heavy metals, bacteria, nitrates/nitrites, chlorine, lead – you name it. Based on the test results, it might be necessary for you to set up a customized filtration system.

Well Water Treatment System Setup

A residential well filter should combine a sediment filter stage for larger particles with a chlorination stage for bacterial content.

Instead of a chlorination stage, which could be the source of disinfection byproducts, you can also opt for a UV-light stage, which will kill all waterborne pathogens.

Please be aware that using 3 or even 4 different filtration stages in a row does not guarantee that your water is going to be 100 percent free from harmful pollutants. Consider buying a reverse osmosis system, if you want to get access to an unlimited supply of clean drinking water in your home.

If you have any questions about whole house filtration systems or any other type of water filter really, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!

And don’t forget to come back to this page from time to time, as we are going to add a new whole house water filter review with comparisons occasionally.

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9 comments

Ben Dykman says
8 months ago

Thank you for you informative website. I think it has helped a lot of people. I’m leaning towards getting the Aquasana Premium with additional water softener, UV filter and Pro Grade install kit.
There’s another intriguing system I’d like your opinion on . The Company is called “Next Filtration Technologies” and the product is called “scale stop plus” which supposedly uses “Template assisted crystallization” and “catalytic carbon technology”. It supposedly does not use salt or chemicals to eliminate calcium scale buildup. They are totally California based. Their high end product is called “Scale stop Turbo Plus” supposedly removing 99% of all soluble lead, mercury, copper, and other dissolved metals from the water. The cost is $4,800 + $600 installation.
Thanks for your opinion on this.
Ben

Have you heard of Next Filtration Scale Stop Plus? Do you have an opinion on it and how it compares to Aquasana?

Hi Ben,
Thank you for your kind words and your question. The Aquasana Premium is a good choice for sure.
As far as Next Filtration Technologies is concerned, you are right, they use “TAC” that seems to make the calcium in your water clump together without removing it and without the need for salt. According to the company, the formed crystals won’t stick to metal surfaces. However, I couldn’t find any lab reports on that matter. I also couldn’t find a performance data sheet for the Scale Stop Turbo Plus.
What I can say is that these systems are not suited for most well waters without pre-treatment. They can’t handle ferrous iron above 0.3 ppm and manganese above 0.05 ppm (according to their own information).
Also, almost $5,000 is a lot of money. Other than that, I really can’t make any statements.
Hope that helps.
Gene

One more thing, the Aquasana Premium is a full house purification system for the removal of impurities. Scale Stop Plus are treatment systems that literally won’t remove anything from your water, so it’s kind of hard to compare them to each other.

We have city water. My wife has some sort of sensitive skin condition. She wants the most chemical free water possible (Whole House RO water is not feasible). What type of whole house water filtration do you recommend for her. I was thinking Aquasana. What do you think is best?
–Ben

The Aquasana definitely has the most thorough filtration. Plus you can choose the version that comes with a salt-free conditioner, which might benefit your wife’s skin. I mean, I’m not a dermatologist, but excessive sodium might not be a good idea in your case.
Gene